We’ll also bake a ham and put out some cheese and Kaiser rolls so people can make ham sandwiches.

The cheesy cauliflower squares are gluten free and surprisingly delicious. Now that our oldest daughter has actually arrived, we are finding that gluten free cooking can be simple, but also complicated.

Where it gets tricky is when you use any ingredients that are processed in any way. On Jessica’s first day on the Cape we all went shopping together. Luckily, she ran into an old friend in a store who was diagnosed with Celiac disease 12 years ago. He offered us some much-needed tips on the pitfalls of gluten.

For example, vinegar is tricky and it’s hidden in a lot of things like capers and soy sauce. Balsamic and red wine vinegar are fine, but plain white vinegar is a no-no. The term “natural flavorings” is another red flag. It meant we had to pull out the reading glasses and carefully scrutinize labels.

Since this is all new for all of us, including Jess, I recommended that she download The Gluten Free Scanner app for her cell phone. I’ve already done so. It scans bar codes and lets you know if a product contains gluten.

Our daughter Julie made batches of gluten free goodies instead of Christmas cookies this year. The tin of handmade truffles and bark for her sister was one of the most well-received gifts this year, proving the best gifts are the most thoughtful ones.

I also made miniature flourless chocolate cake style cookies, but that recipe needs some tinkering. They didn’t come out of the mini muffin pans easily. They tasted amazing, but looked pretty messy.

The only real difficulty Jess had was with Chinese food on Christmas Eve. We asked for gluten free on our take-out order so the chef made all of our dishes with white sauce. We added our own gluten free soy sauce at home. But somehow gluten snuck in and made her sick. We’ll be eating at home the rest of the week.

These cheesy cauliflower squares are almost like a pizza. Serving them with a side of marinara for dipping really enhances that flavor profile. With these on our Christmas buffet, Jess didn’t miss the stuffed shells at all. She loved them enough that we will make them again for New Year’s.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into quarters and remove the stems. Grate cauliflower on a box grater. In a large bowl, mix grated cauliflower, eggs, garlic, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, Romano and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper cut to size. Press cauliflower mixture onto the baking sheet to fill it completely. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella, oregano and red pepper flakes. Return to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Cut into squares and serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.